So while he is being presented as a hero here this week and his hometown has forgiven him, Benson ultimately decided to stay only when the NFL stepped in and pledged financial support.

The damaged Louisiana Superdome, home of the Saints, was a refuge where a handful of people died in the days after Katrina. It required almost $200 million in repairs that were done in half the time it could have reasonably been considered possible.

Despite the fact that an estimated half the population of New Orleans had not yet moved back and those that remained were still struggling to rebuild, the Saints sold out every 2006 home game for the first time.

The Saints went to the NFC Championship Game that season, losing to the Chicago Bears. Now, they have made it to their first Super Bowl.

A Southern gentleman, complete with a Louisiana drawl and charming smile, the 82-year-old Benson held court with the media this week, smiling often and retelling the story of how the Saints decided to stay and save a city.

“I think that as we look back at it, it was the right decision, because it certainly has been a great thing for New Orleans,” Benson said. “It is the thing that is getting our city back. We know it’s back, but now we’re telling the whole world.”